The Horror of Loneliness

Chapter Three

It was metres away while I was under the forest canopy with slow advancement that something as big as an eagle flew towards me from the branches above. I lost my consciousness, then on the ground I laid. Even though I lost my mind I still had the feeling that my attacker was right on my legs while I faced downward, but to my greatest surprise it had no weight. I lay there for hours waiting for my last moment to come but my supposed attacker never made any advancement. I made up my mind to grab it by it wings in a serious combat with my last breath before my eyes were closed in death. With all my power and strength, I rose in suicide attempt only to realize I was deceived by my eyes and mind. What fell on me and caused me to lay on the muck moss infested forest floor for the past hours was not an eagle evil spirit, but a dry leave of an African forest tree. I could not believe, yet I was scared to hold it beyond a second.

I had to run as swift as I could to a distance I had never gone in my life time, to see the light where I could be saved from the evil night. The distance was longer than where I wanted to go, yet there was no sign I was closed to the town. That was how I knew I have missed my way. My eyes were longing for nothing else but anything shiny and bright to see through the dark night. May be that was the reason everything around me brought hallucination of a flashing light.

In the midst of the forest I stood, this time I knew not the direction to go. I could not remember when I missed my tract, neither did I know why my whole body was bruised. I tried to remember the past scenes, then I recall when I struggled through thick stalks and twines. “Oh! I worsened the whole situation by moving deep in the jungle instead of following the right way”. I was exhausted and ready to give up.

The woods were glowing with deep fluorescent light, but they were not bright enough to the eyes. I could see a little within the close proximity than anywhere else in the humid verdant jungle. The most fluoresced trunk was that of the iroko trees which were the dominant giants of the fearful forest niche. Why would these trees shine as if they were wearing lightening linen? I was so inquisitive, by this time I have forgotten my pains. Closer I moved to one of the iroko trees. I looked closer to its trunk but I could not detect the source of the light. With my fingers, I touched the bark smoothly. All I felt was what looked like flat mushrooms. I took one into my hands, behold it produced fake light that could not brighten my way. “Oh! Are these not the street lights of the forests ghost my nanny told me about”? I asked myself but it refused to answer. Once again cold blood of fear ran through my veins.

I kept myself in silence and my feet alert because I knew I was in danger. While listening if I would hear anything attacking me from nowhere, I perceived what sounded like human movement a few metres away. I looked through the thick nets of the tree branches, but I could not have a sight because it was dark. Then came a sound like that of human, but just once; so, I could not really hear. Why would any man be here by this time of the night? I asked myself in the depth of my thought. He should be a hunter or may be in despair just as I am. That means I have found a friend to move together through the dark to a place where light could be found.

Slowly I moved because I was still in fear; perhaps it might be a ghost setting a trap for me. I advanced faster step by step in much wider pace. When I got closer, what I thought was a man jumped up the trees it went. The whole debris of the dead branches fell on me. It was one of the deadliest fears of the night.

I could not really run any longer because my strength was seized from me. All I could do was to begin shouting in my loudest voice “come and take me you evil of the dark night; take me you forest darkness that spare not an innocent like me. I ran away from you right from home and you pushed me deeper into this wild just to devour and take my life. My mom was consumed by you and my Dad you never spare for me. Take me too perhaps I may dine with their souls and sit on the round table with my ancestors tonight. I have nothing to lose in life, I have nothing to lose in the house. The only thing that pains me is the afang soup I prepared and the fufu I made without giving a taste with hope that I would eat when I return from getting the light. You see I am lonely, not one is there anymore who cares about me. My Dad, Mum and my Nanny are nowhere to be found. Why do I have to live; why do I have to survive? Take me with you perhaps I will find peace”.

Pools of tears ran from my eyes through my cheek, as if it was directed, deep it sipped into my mouth. Then I tasted its mild salty taste as though it was carefully prepared for consumption, then I realized I was thirsty. I couldn’t stop myself from leaking the salty tears which interfered with my outcry and caused a voice modification as a wife mourning the death of her husband.